Family Bonds
by RedForRaph
Summary: Enjoy this group of drabbles/oneshots based on words my readers send me. Drama, family, hurt, comfort, action, humor, and angst; it's all here! Enjoy and R&R, but no flames. I do take requests. :)
1. Chapter 1

*Freefall*

'What a rookie mistake,' Raphael couldn't help but think as soon as the Foot ninja's foot connected with his own shell.  
He had turned his back to the enemy, and now he was free falling from ten stories up. He was a goner.  
Usually, Raph would use his sai to catch himself on the wall, but he had dropped his weapons just a few minutes before.  
'Another bonehead move,' he lectured himself as he felt the wind swirling around him as he tumbled toward his death.  
"Raph!"  
Something metal and cold suddenly wrapped around Raphael's chest, and he was jerked to a stop in midair. Looking up over his shoulder with surprised eyes, he saw Michelangelo leaning over the side of the building and holding onto one side of his nunchaku. Raphael realized it was the nunchaku's chain that had wrapped around him, preventing his early demise.  
Leonardo was holding onto Michelangelo, and Donatello was pulling on Leo.  
In what seemed like a second, Raphael found himself pulled onto the roof, his brothers immediately leaning over him in worry. The Foot was gone, and Raph figured they had retreated.  
'Heh. Cowards.'  
"Raphie, are you okay?" Mikey asked, unwinding his nunchaku chain from around Raph. His blue eyes were wide with fear. Raphael pulled himself to his feet and tried to hide the shakiness in his legs.  
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured his baby brother, though in reality, he was a little freaked out. He had almost DIED, after all. He was definitely going to have some nightmares after THAT fiasco...  
"Are you sure?" Leo asked, handing Raphael his sais, "You look a little shaken."  
"I'm fine, Fearless," Raph replied a little too harshly, "Can we just get home already?!" Leo and Donnie exchanged looks before shrugging and taking off across the rooftop. Raphael was about to follow them when he felt something grab his hand. It was Mikey.  
"Want me to hold your hand?" Mikey offered sweetly with an innocent smile on his freckled face, "You know, so you won't fall again?" Raphael was going to jerk his hand away, but looking at the worried look on his baby brother's face, he smiled instead.  
"Sure, Mike," Raph replied, squeezing Mikey's hand, "Thanks."  
And the two ran hand-in-hand all the way home.

*The End*


	2. Chapter 2

*Silence*

"Donnie? What are you doing in here?" Leonardo lectured as he found his younger brother hunched over the computer in his lab, typing away. An old blanket was across the genius' shoulders, but Leo could still see him shivering. "You need to be in bed, Don. You're sick."  
Leo knew Donnie was unable to reply being that he had lost his voice. Leo also knew Donnie was pretending like he couldn't hear the orders of his older brother. Don had a fever, and was supposed to be asleep in bed; Raphael had to half carry, half drag Donnie away from his lab last time.  
Leonardo reached out and spun Donnie around in his computer chair. Donatello's face was a pale green with dark circles under his tired eyes. Leo pressed his hand against his brother's cheek.  
"You're burning up, Don," Leo said worriedly, "Didn't you take medicine earlier like I told you to?"  
Silence.  
Leo was going to take that as a no.  
"Come on, Donnie," Leo ordered, pulling on the genius' arm, "You're going to bed." Donatello quickly shook his head with a determined look on his face and turned back to his computer. Leo looked over Don's shoulder as his brother typed.  
'I'm almost done.'  
Leo rolled his eyes.  
"With what?" he questioned, and Donnie began typing again.  
'Formula for antidote.'  
"Antidote?"  
'For Timothy.'  
Leonardo looked behind him at the tank holding the blobby form of their friend, Timothy.  
"You've worked on it long enough for tonight, Donatello," Leo replied with his hands on his hips as he reached forward and turned the computer monitor off. Donnie quickly turned to look at Leo with wide, surprised eyes. "I'm ordering you as your leader now, Don," Leo warned, "Go to bed and rest before you make yourself sicker. Understand?"  
Another silence, but Leo knew from the look on Donnie's face that he had won. He gently grabbed Donnie's elbow and hauled him to his feet. He led the genius into the living room, where the medicine from earlier still sat on the coffee table, untouched.  
Leonardo poured some of the red liquid into a spoon and held it out to Donnie, who cringed.  
"You wanna get better, don't you?" Leo asked, pushing the spoon closer to Donnie's face.  
More silence.  
"You don't want me to go get Raph to hold you down like a toddler, do you?" Donnie immediately opened his mouth for the medicine, and Leo chuckled as he stuck the spoon into Donnie's mouth.  
Donatello gagged as the medicine ran down his throat, but he kept it down. Leo then led Donnie upstairs to his bedroom and made sure Don was covered in enough blankets.  
"Are you warm enough?"  
One nod.  
"You need anything?"  
Don shook his head.  
"Okay," Leo finally said, "I'm gonna go now. Don't even think about getting up after I leave or I'll drag you back by your bandanna tails, understand?" Donnie smiled sleepily as his eyelids began to droop.  
'Thank you, Leo,' he mouthed, and immediately fell asleep. Leonardo smiled, looking down at his smart but stubborn brother. He turned out the light before he left and shut the door behind him.

*The End*


	3. Chapter 3

*Substitute Leo*

Leonardo had been gone for six months, and everything had already changed so much. Splinter had left Donatello in charge, much to the genius turtle's dismay.

Mikey, though still being the goofball of the group, had matured enough where he was at least working to help provide for their family.

Which, in Donatello's opinion, was much more than what Raphael was doing. Raph had put up a wall between himself and the rest of his family, and Don was tired of it.

Before Leo left, Raph and Donnie had gotten along remarkably well, but now, all Raph wanted to do was pick fights with the new leader.

And Donnie finally understood why.

He waited up until late at night when Raphael finally strolled through the door. The hot-headed turtle was shocked to see his brother there, waiting up for him much like Leo used to do.

"Awfully late for a walk, Raph," Donnie said, standing up from where he had been sitting on the couch, "Couldn't you start coming home at a more decent time?" Donnie knew he sounded like Leo, and flinched. That hadn't been his intentions at all.

Raphael glared at Donnie and crossed his arms.

"Don't lecture meh, Science-Boy," Raph snapped, "You stay up just as late workin' on yer dumb lil projects every night." Raphael was picking a fight again, but this time, Donnie tried to ignore it.

"I'm just saying, Raph," Donnie tried again, approaching his brother, "that maybe you could help a little more around the lair instead of sleeping all day and staying out all night, drinking with Casey." Whoops. That last part wasn't suppose to slip out. Raphael puffed out his chest angrily and poked Don sharply in the carapace.

"You don't know WHAT I do at night," Raph argued, snarling a lip up as his voice grew louder, "You know what I wish? I wish you'd stop trying ta be Mr. Perfect all the time! You ain't perfect, Don! And ya definitely shouldn't be leader!" There it was. Just what Donnie was waiting for. He now had proof of why Raph always wanted to pick fights with him.

What Raph had just said was the same exact thing he used to say to Leonardo.

"I'm NOT doing this with you, Raphael," Donnie replied calmly, knowing a screaming match was exactly what Raphael wanted, "I'm not going to be your new Leo!" Raph's face froze in a mixture of shock and anger as Donnie continued. "You've been picking fights with me ever since Leo left, and I've finally figured out why. You NEED someone to argue with! You LIKE it when someone disagrees with you, because then you get the chance to show off rebellious ways and, you know what? I'm not going to do this with you anymore! I'm Donnie. Not Leo. Find yourself someone else to argue with, because I'm done!"

Donnie had hit the nail right on the head, and he could tell simply from the look on Raphael's face.

Raph knew it was the truth, even if he wouldn't admit it, and Donnie knew that Raph knew. He sighed and continued his speech in a more gentle and calm tone.

"I don't like to argue with you, Raph," he said quietly, "Leo might've liked to fight with you day in and day out...but I don't. I miss when you and I could talk about anything, and when we used to work on your motorcycle together. When-when we were best friends." Raphael looked down at the floor and rubbed his arms awkwardly.

"You..." he began awkwardly, "You're...right. I'm sorry, Don. I know I'm always pickin' fights with ya and stuff but, with Leo gone... I don't know. It just messes everythin' up, you know?" Donnie smiled and put a hand on Raphael's shoulder.

"We miss him, too, Raph," Donnie admitted, but Raphael jerked his shoulder away from Don's hand. Anger quickly covered Raph's face once more as he headed for the stairs that led upstairs, to the bedrooms

"I DON'T miss Leo!" Raphael snapped, "He could just stay in da jungle fer all I care. Who needs 'im?" The look on Donnie's face was as clear as him speaking the words out loud.

'YOU need him,' the look read. Raphael sighed, the fire dimming inside of him.

"I'm goin' ta bed," he mumbled tiredly. He turned back and gave Don a barely noticeable half smile, "Night, Don." And with that, he disappeared up the stairs, leaving Donnie feeling just a little bit more hopeful than before.


	4. Chapter 4

*Niche*

With a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee, Donnie smiled sleepily as he returned tiredly to his lab at two in the morning. As he opened the door, he was startled to see his younger brother, Michelangelo, wearing Donnie's lab coat and goggles and swishing some sort of liquid inside of a beaker.  
"Mikey! What are you doing with my items?" Donnie shouted as he rushed over and pulled the beaker from Mikey's hands, "Those are dangerous chemicals you're messing with!" Mikey looked at Donnie indignantly.  
"I know exactly what they are!" he exclaimed, "I'm not an idiot, Donatello!" Donnie took a surprised step back. Mikey wasn't smiling like he usually was, AND he used Donnie's full name.  
Uh oh...  
"Uh, what's on your mind, Mike?" Donnie asked nervously as he set the beaker back on the table. Mikey's face fell and his bottom lip started trembling.  
"Nothing," he mumbled, "That's the problem." Donnie stared at him, confused. Mikey sighed and continued. "I'm not really important to the team."  
"Michelangelo!" Donnie snapped angrily, crossing his arms, "You know very well that is not true." Mikey nodded his head.  
"I'm only the comic relief," he snapped, "Not that important, like what you guys do. So, I want a new... Um, what's that word? Starts with an 'n'?"  
"Niche?"  
"Yeah!" Mikey exclaimed, pointing at Donnie, "A niche! Unfortunately, Leo wouldn't let me be the leader, so I tried to be the hot-headed tough guy like Raph... But he kept beating me up." He looked down sadly at the floor, scrubbing a hand across his eyes, "And I'm too dumb to be a genius like you." Donnie put a hand on the youngest brother's shoulder.  
"But you see, Mikey," Donnie began, kneeling down so he was eye level with Mike, "Those are OUR niches. We're those things because that's we're good at. And your the best at being our comic relief." Michelangelo looked down in disappointment.  
"What good is a comic relief?" he asked angrily, "I can't lead missions like Leo or beat people up like Raph or create cool gadgets like you. I'm just not that important, dude." Donnie shook his head, trying to think of a way to get through to his baby brother. His face lit up as an idea popped into his head.  
"Mikey," Donnie began seriously, "When we fought the Shredder for the first time, who helped Raphael when he was thrown into that sign and electrocuted?" Mikey shrugged, still looking at the ground.  
"Well?" Donnie pressed.  
"I did, I guess," Mikey finally said.  
"And who stayed with Raph after he got bit by Fishface and was sick from the poison?"  
"I did."  
"And who helped me when Slash attacked and hurt me?"  
"Me."  
"And who saved us all from the squirrelanoids?"  
"I did."  
"And from the wasp?"  
"Me."  
"After all of that, how can you say you're not important?" Donnie asked quietly, "If not for you, we'd all be dead a hundred times over." Mikey looked up with a smile on his face and hugged the genius brother.  
"I guess being the comic relief isn't too bad," Mikey admitted, "Donnie?"  
"Yeah, bro?"  
"You totally owe me for all the times I've saved your butt so... How about you build me a jet pack?!"

*The End*


	5. Chapter 5

*Complications*

It was the worst day in the history of worst days for the turtles.  
It was check-up day.  
Once every six months, Splinter insisted that Donatello, the resident 'doctor' of the family, give everyone in the household check-ups.  
Leo and Splinter always went first, and they were always the perfect patients. They did whatever Donnie asked of them, and Don was more than grateful.  
Mikey went next, and knowing that the youngest turtle had a habit of whining and complaining during the whole check-up, Donnie had prepared candy and colorful band aids to distract the turtle while he did the usual check-up things.  
But then, there was Raph.  
Leo and Mikey watched in dread as Donnie practically dragged the hot-head into the lab, cussing and complaining the whole way. As soon as the door shut, Mikey started snickering.  
"What's so funny, Mike?" Leo asked as he narrowed his eyes at the orange-clad turtle in suspicion. Mikey snickered again.  
"During my check-up," Mikey whispered secretively, "Donnie told me Raph was due for a shot..." Leo's eyes grew wide.  
Everyone knew Raphael absolutely hated needles. The two brothers waited and listened for any sound behind the lab door.  
"What?!" Mike and Leo snickered at the sound of their angry brother, "I don't frickin' think so!"  
"It's only a small shot, Raph."  
"Small?! That things looks like a damn tranquilizer dart!"  
"Raphael! Stop that!"  
"Shell no! Get that thing away from me!"  
"Raph, this is your last warning before I use extreme measures!"  
"Get that thing out of my face!" Thwack!  
"Ow!"  
"Told ya to get that outta my damn face!"  
"Raphael! Ow!"  
There was the loud sound of scuffling and things being knocked over as Leo and Mikey exchanged concerned glances.  
"Maybe we should intervene," Leo suggested nervously as the ruckus grew even louder.  
"Dude, you really wanna get in the middle of that?" Mikey asked, shaking his head, "Best to leave this to the professionals." There was a shout and a large THWACK! And then everything was quiet again. Leo and Mikey tried their best to act innocent as the lab door opened, and Donnie stepped out. He had a tissue pressed against his busted lip.  
Mikey and Leo glanced past him and were shocked to see an unconscious Raphael lying on the floor.  
Donnie sighed as he returned his Bo staff to its rightful place.  
"Well?" Leo snickered, already knowing exactly how it went.  
"Dude!" Mikey exclaimed, hurrying to the door and looking down at Raph with a huge smile on his face, "You totally went all Patrick Swayze on him!" Donnie shrugged, still breathing heavily from the fight.  
"Well," he admitted, "There were a few...complications."

*The End*


	6. Chapter 6

*Constrict*

Leonardo felt his chest constrict. He and his brothers had indeed fought off the last of the Foot, but he grimly wondered if it was worth it as he ran over to his injured baby brother lying on his side a few yards away. The youngest turtle's face was scrunched up in pain, and his knees were pulled up to his chest.  
"Michelangelo! Mikey!" he shouted as he knelt beside the orange-banded turtle, "Michelangelo, are you okay?"  
Mikey turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood from his busted lip, immediately shaking his head after.  
"Can't...breathe," the youngest turtle gasped. Donatello and Raphael finally made it over and also knelt beside their brother.  
"He said he can't breathe," Leo said urgently to Donnie, who only nodded and gently rolled Michelangelo onto his shell.  
"No wonder," he said, checking Mikey's plastron and carapace for cracks, "A Foot ninja nailed him in the chest with a lead pipe. Probably knocked the wind right out of him." Donnie paused to rub Mikey's head soothingly, "No internal injuries. He'll be fine, Leo." Leo nodded, but it didn't keep him from feeling concerned.  
"Ya okay, Chuckles?" Raph asked, pulling Mikey by his shoulders into a sitting position. Still clutching his gut with his eyes scrunched shut, he gave a barely perceptible nod. The three older brothers could hear the wheezing of their youngest brother.  
"Ya sure?"  
Another nod.  
"I don't offer this often, Mike, but do ya want me ta carry ya home?"  
Yet another nod from the tired turtle. Raphael rolled his eyes with a small grin as he gathered Mikey into his arms.  
"Go figure," he chuckled before running for the nearest manhole cover, Mikey safely in his arms.  
Leo watched guiltily, his chest still feeling constricted in fear. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned his head to see Donatello smiling down at him.  
"Want me to carry YOU home, bro?" Donnie joked, sensing his brother's frazzled state of mind. Leo couldn't help but smile back.  
"Thanks, but no thanks, Don," Leo said, watching as Raph and Mikey disappeared beneath the streets. He could already hear Mikey's voice, teasing Raphael for being such a softy and Raph arguing and threatening to drop him if he didn't shut up. Mikey was fine, after all. Leo smiled again, this time in relief. "Come on, bro," Leo said, turning to Donnie, "Last one home has to carry Mikey NEXT time."

*The End*


	7. Chapter 7

*Movie Night*

Michelangelo squeezed in between Leonardo and Donatello on the couch, leaving Raphael to take a lonely seat on the floor.  
"I can't believe we let Mikey pick the movie," Raph grumbled, crossing his arms in disgust as the title of the movie appeared on the screen.  
"Hey!" Mikey protested indignantly, "Tangled is a great movie! Plus, the songs are totally catchy!"  
"It's a Disney movie," Raphael argued, "It's for kids."  
"Actually, Raph," Leo interrupted, "a lot of older people like Disney movies. They're classics."  
"Yeah," Donnie added with a smile, "I quite enjoy then myself." Raphael rolled his eyes and leaned back against the foot of the couch.  
They were only a couple minutes into the movie when Michelangelo suddenly paused it.  
"What are you doing, Mike?" Leo asked, looking over at his youngest brother with an eye ridged raised. Mikey seemed to be deep in thought.  
"...What characters do you think we'd be if we were in Disney movies?" Mikey finally asked, looking at each of his brothers.  
"Who cares?" Raphael groaned, rubbing his face tiredly, "Just put the dumb movie back on."  
"It's actually quite a though-provoking question, Raph," Donnie countered, "but being that most of the main characters are girls..."  
"You should fit right in," Raph chuckled, looking over his shoulder at the unamused genius turtle.  
"Cute, Raph," Donnie mumbled sarcastically, crossing his arms and leaning back against the couch.  
"I think I know who you guys would be," Mikey announced cheerfully, "Trust me. I'm good at this kinda thing." Mikey pointed happily at Leonardo. "Leo would be Mulan." Leo looked at his baby brother, confused.  
"Mulan?" he asked, "Why?" Mikey looked at his older brother with a 'duh' expression.  
"The whole movie is about her protecting her family and bringing them honor," Mikey explained as if it was obvious, "Duh, dude. Yours was, like, the easiest to figure out." Leo seemed to think about his baby brother's reply for a moment. Finally, he smiled.  
"I guess you're kind of right, Mikey," Leo admitted with an awkward grin. Mikey basked in the glow before turning to Donnie, who looked more than a little nervous.  
"Please don't say Beauty and the Beast, Mikey," Donnie groaned, putting his hand over his face. Mikey had considered Beauty and the Beast, actually. Donnie, the Beast, being in love with April, the Beauty, but thinking he was too much of a monster to be with her.  
It was too harsh for Mikey to say, so he had picked a different one.  
"Alice," Mikey finally announced, "from Alice in Wonderland." Though Donnie's face relaxed, it was still scrunched up in confusion. "You know, 'cause you're a dreamer." Mikey continued, when he realized everyone was still confused. "You're always in your own little world, otherwise known as your lab, and your dreams come to life 'cause you invent them and bring them to life." Donnie's eyes widen in surprise.  
"Wow, Mikey," Donnie said slowly, impressed, "That was very poetic of you..."  
Suddenly, Mikey turned to look at Raphael with an evil smile.  
"Your turn, bro," he warned, and Raphael sighed and rolled me eyes.  
"Hit me with it already," Raphael replied, expecting the worst.  
"Wreck-It-Ralph."  
Raphael's face changed from dread and annoyance to complete and utter surprise.  
"I didn't even know dat was a Disney movie," Raph muttered under his breath.  
"Yeah, it is," Mikey assured the hot-headed brother, "and you'd be him because we always treat ya like the villain. Kinda. Okay, not really the villain, but you know what I mean." Leo and Donnie exchanged indignant glances before turning to Mikey.  
"Michelangelo, we do NOT treat Raphael like the villain," Leo lectured, crossing his arms. Mikey crossed his arms as well and raised an eyebrow ridge.  
"Really?" he replied sarcastically, "I mean, yeah, most of the time, he deserves it, but we ALWAYS blame stuff on him when something gets broken or goes missing."  
"You guys realize I'm still right here, don't ya?" Raphael growled.  
"Anyways," Mikey continued, "Even though he's always been the one everyone expects trouble from, he just wants people to recognize him as the hero he really is."  
Raphael snorted and turned his head away from his brothers, but Mikey still saw his brother's face blush in embarrassment.  
"You're very good at this, Mikey," Leo admitted with a smile, patting Mike on the back.  
"What character would YOU be?" Donnie questioned. Mikey shrugged a shoulder and was about to answer, but Raphael cut him off.  
"Peter Pan." Mikey looked at Raphael out of the corner of his eye. Donnie and Leo both exchanged looks again before nodding and smiling in agreement.  
"Yeah," Leo replied.  
"Sounds about right," Donnie added.  
"You'd be Peter Pan 'cause yer immature. You're nevah gonna grow up. Yer cocky, pig-headed, and annoyin' sometimes," Raphael continued. Mikey looked at Raph with hurt in his eyes. Raph smiled.  
"But yer also always wantin' to help others. Yer always happy and smilin'. You've got enough faith and trust for half da planet, and yer a brave little punk, too." Mikey perked up a little, and Raph nodded his head, "Yup. You'd be Peter Pan." Mikey smiled at his three brothers before settling in more comfortably against the couch.  
"Shall we finish watching Tangled now?" Donnie asked. Mikey pressed play, but paused it again a few seconds later.  
"You know," he said, "Now I'm kinda in the mood to watch Peter Pan."

*The End*


	8. Chapter 8

*Gunfire*

The sound was loud and echoed off of the concrete walls of the alley. Michelangelo turned his head just in time to see one of the Purple Dragons take off down the alley, gun in his hand, before disappearing around the corner.  
Mikey's wide eyes flicked over to where Donatello was standing. Donnie's eyes, too, were wide as he made eye contact with his youngest brother.  
He put a hand to his stomach and looked down at the blood seeping out from between his fingers. Everything was happening in slow motion for Michelangelo as he ran over to Donnie, who fell to his knees.  
No matter how fast he ran to his brother, Mikey didn't seem to be getting any closer.  
"Donnie!" he shouted, reaching a hand out toward his bleeding brother, "Donnie!"  
Suddenly, a hand was shaking him awake.  
"Mike?" Mikey's eyes snapped open, and he awoke with a snort. He was surprised to be looking up into the face of his immediate older brother, Donatello.  
'Oh, yeah,' Mikey thought, rubbing his eyes tiredly, 'Me and Don were watching that Terminator movie... I guess I fell asleep...'  
"You missed half of the movie," Donnie snorted, reaching for the looked over at the TV and saw the credits rolling on the screen before Donnie turned it off.  
"Sorry," Mikey yawned as he stretched, "Must've been sleepier than I thought. But, I mean, it's not like I haven't seen the movie a hundred times before." Donnie nodded and was about to get up, but paused.  
"So you were dreaming about me, huh?" he asked seriously. Mikey could still hear the gunshots from his dream ringing in his ears. Donnie was staring at him in concern.  
What all had he said in his sleep?  
"Uh, yeah, I guess," Mikey replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Donnie reached out to put a hand on Mikey's shoulder gently.  
"Was it bad?" Donnie asked, and Mikey couldn't help but laugh.  
"You have no idea, bro," he replied with another laugh as he stood up, "Remind me to never fall asleep in the middle of watching 'The Terminator' again. Night, dude." And with that, the younger brother headed upstairs, trying to push the sight of his brother dying from his tired brain.

*The End*


	9. Chapter 9

(A/N: Here's my next installment! This one is going to be all dialogue, mostly because I like trying new things! Enjoy! R&R!)

*Why*

"Hey, Donnie?"

"Yeah, April?"

"What's wrong with Raph?"

"...What do you mean? Nothing is wrong with Raph."

"No, I didn't mean anything like that. I meant... I don't know. He's different than the rest of you."

"Different? How so?"

"I don't know... He's just closed off and, well, kind of mean, actually."

"Heh... And?"

"...And, I just wanna know. Why?"

"April, Raph has reasons for the way that he acts, and they're reasons he doesn't like anyone to talk about."

"Why not? What happened?"

"..."

"You can tell me, Don."

"It happened a long time ago. It doesn't even matter anymore, but it mattered a lot to him back then. Maybe it still matters to him. I don't know, but I'll just leave it at that."

"Oh..."

"But before you make any snap decisions about Raphael and his harsh demeanor, you need to remember something."

"What?"

"All the coldest, hardest people you meet were once as soft as water. And that's the tragedy of living."


End file.
